Chapter 51: Five Heart-Guarding Mirrors

Lin Yi carried the black tortoise to the shore. Its immense size alone was enough to strike terror into anyone’s heart. Yet now, it had actually been killed by a single punch.

Angel’s beautiful eyes sparkled with astonishment. As expected of Mr. Lin, he always managed to surprise people in the most extraordinary ways.

Ye Shuang’er gazed at Lin Yi with a complicated expression—there was fear, awe, and regret in her eyes. She had initially thought Lin Yi was just an ordinary man, but hadn’t expected his strength to be so overwhelming. Even Master Du had nearly been bitten to death, and yet this black tortoise hadn’t lasted a single move in Lin Yi’s hands.

Could he be a grandmaster?

Impossible, she thought. She remembered the youngest grandmaster she’d ever heard of was already over forty, while Lin Yi seemed barely in his twenties. For one so young to possess such power would completely upend everything people thought they knew.

A weak cough sounded from the shore. Master Du, looking pale and frail, struggled to speak. Ye Shuang’er hurried over; in her heart, she wished she could cut Master Du down with a sword. If not for him, would their group have suffered such heavy casualties? Capturing the black tortoise—if not for Lin Yi, even survival would have been uncertain. Now, even her brother had been devoured by the beast.

But she couldn't blame Lin Yi; in fact, the entire Ye family wouldn’t dare. Yet, no matter how much resentment she felt toward Master Du, he was still a half-step grandmaster in the family.

“Master Du, are you alright?” Ye Shuang’er asked coldly.

“My medicine…in my pocket…” Master Du’s face was ashen, each word wracked with pain. Fortunately, the tortoise had bitten his right side; if it had struck his heart, even ten lives wouldn't have saved him.

Suppressing her disgust, Ye Shuang’er felt around in his pocket and eventually found a jade bottle. She poured out a black pill and shoved it into his mouth. After swallowing, the bleeding on the right side of his body began to scab over rapidly. Though far from healed, his life was at least out of immediate danger.

Lin Yi approached quietly. “Where is my payment?” he asked.

Ye Shuang’er dared not break her promise. She quickly searched Master Du’s belongings and soon found the compass.

“Here you are,” she said, handing it over with utmost care.

Lin Yi’s eyes flashed with delight as he removed the spirit pearl from the compass. With the pearl gone, the light on the compass quickly dimmed.

“Sir, what is this?” Ye Shuang’er asked, curiosity piqued by Lin Yi’s interest in the item.

“It’s a spirit pearl,” Lin Yi replied without concealment.

“A spirit pearl?” She had never heard of such a thing.

Lin Yi nodded. This was a Fire Spirit Pearl, which only rarely formed within spirit-rich magma. He hadn’t expected Master Du to possess such a treasure.

“How did you obtain this spirit pearl?” Lin Yi inquired.

“Sir, it’s an heirloom passed down in my family. My grandfather’s generation used it as an energy source for geomancy,” Master Du replied, still coughing.

He, too, had witnessed Lin Yi slay the black tortoise with a single punch. Thankfully, he hadn’t offended Lin Yi too greatly—otherwise, he’d be nothing but bones now.

Lin Yi felt a flicker of disappointment; he had hoped for more spirit pearls. If he could gather all five elemental pearls, refining a spiritual pill would yield immense benefits—perhaps even allow him to form another Golden Core.

“Angel, let’s go,” Lin Yi said.

“Sir, could you take us with you?” Ye Shuang’er pleaded, gazing at Lin Yi. Their party had suffered heavy losses, and even Master Du, their strongest, was barely clinging to life. If their enemies came now, the consequences would be disastrous.

Lin Yi considered this, then replied, “Keep up on your own.”

Ye Shuang’er’s eyes lit up as she immediately rallied the survivors to follow him.

Lin Yi hefted the black tortoise with one hand and walked toward the valley.

***

Back at the valley, Lin Yi temporarily left the tortoise’s corpse at the entrance. He stopped Ye Shuang’er and the others there; they had no real connection to him, and he was only bringing them along because they had once helped him.

Little Red saw Lin Yi’s return and wagged its three fluffy tails enthusiastically.

“Mr. Lin, what do you plan to do with the black tortoise? It’s so large, transporting it home won’t be easy,” Angel remarked.

“Don’t worry about that,” Lin Yi chuckled. With his art of vaporization, no matter how massive an object was, he could turn it into gas and store it nearby. Plus, with ten Golden Cores working in harmony, he needn’t worry about running out of true essence.

Angel now trusted him unconditionally.

Next, Lin Yi carved a huge chunk of meat from the tortoise—almost the size of a wild boar. It sounded substantial, but compared to the tortoise’s bulk, it was like an ant. He roasted the meat with alchemical flames, and soon an enticing aroma filled the air.

Angel swallowed eagerly, while Little Red nuzzled Lin Yi’s hand.

“Here, this is for you,” Lin Yi said, sharing some of the meat with Angel and Little Red.

After eating their fill, Lin Yi stripped the tortoise shell. The shell alone was as large as a high-rise building. To take it out would cause a sensation—he had no desire to disrupt his peaceful life.

He forged the shell with black alchemical flames as Angel watched in silence, fascinated and excited—it was her first time witnessing Lin Yi craft a spiritual artifact.

Refining the shell was far more difficult than working with precious jade. It took a full day and night to condense the massive shell down to the size of a coat. Then, he quickly polished it, fashioning five pitch-black breastplates.

“These breastplates are so sturdy, I doubt even a Spirit Lord could break them,” Lin Yi said in satisfaction. The shell had yielded five pieces in total.

“Angel, this is the spiritual artifact I promised you. Drip a little blood on it,” Lin Yi instructed.

Angel had been helpful throughout their journey, taking care of every detail. She nodded eagerly, pricked her finger with a small knife, and let a drop of blood fall onto the breastplate. Instantly, the once rigid armor became supple.

Lin Yi put away the remaining breastplates and set up an illusionary formation in the valley. Without his permission, not even a fly could enter. This was the same array he’d used during his last tribulation.

“Little Red, do you want to come with us, or stay here?” Lin Yi stroked its soft fur.

Little Red nuzzled him and looked back at the valley, choosing to stay.

“That’s fine, the mountains are your home. Keep this tortoise shell—if you’re ever in danger, crush it and I’ll come,” Lin Yi said.

“Let’s go, we should return as well.”

Lin Yi cast a final glance at the valley—perhaps he’d never come back, or only return when he sought peace.

“Alright,” Angel replied sweetly.

Lin Yi carried the tortoise’s body using vaporization.

***

By the time they returned to Lan City, it was already noon the next day. Lin Yi went to the hospital to visit Yang Junqi.

Unexpectedly, at the corridor, he ran into the patriarch of the Yang family. Compared to his previous vigor, the old man now seemed shrouded in deathly gloom. Clearly, the deaths of Yang Manli and Yang Li had hit him hard.

Yet Lin Yi felt no regret; if he could do it over, he would still have killed Yang Manli and Yang Li without hesitation.

“I remember you,” the old man rasped. “You’re Yang Yujia’s boyfriend, aren’t you?”

“No, I’m her teacher,” Lin Yi shook his head. He had only agreed to it to repay Yang Junqi’s kindness. Now that the debt was settled, he would not acknowledge any further ties.

“I see. Don’t you regret it? The third son has soared to greatness now,” the old man asked. Anyone else would have seized the opportunity.

“No,” Lin Yi replied. Then, gazing at the old man, he added, “You’re going to die soon.”

The old man’s face stiffened, anger rising, but then he sighed, “I’m already in my twilight years. What’s the point in caring anymore?”

Lin Yi said nothing further. After lingering a moment, he entered Yang Junqi’s hospital room.

“Lin Yi, you’re here.”

Yang Junqi was half-reclined on the bed, a pillow tucked beneath her.

“How are you feeling, Sister Yang?” Lin Yi asked.

“Alright, just the wound hurts a bit,” Yang Junqi replied with a wan smile.

Lin Yi smiled lightly and took out a thumb-sized piece of white meat—the flesh of the black tortoise.

“Yujia, take this meat and make soup for your sister,” Lin Yi handed it to Yang Yujia.

“What kind of meat is this? It’s so small,” Yang Yujia asked with curiosity.

“It’s a good thing. Don’t ask so many questions. Go on now,” Lin Yi said with a smile.

Yang Yujia nodded and left.

Once she was gone, Lin Yi said, “The old master is outside. Did you know?”

“Why didn’t he come in?” Yang Junqi tried to get out of bed.

Lin Yi quickly stopped her. “He just wanted to see you. Now that he knows you’re alright, he’s at ease.”

“Ah, the old man is so proud,” Yang Junqi sighed. “Yang Manli and Yang Li are dead.”

“I know,” Lin Yi replied calmly.

“My eldest sister and I feuded for so long—now she’s suddenly gone, and I actually feel a bit lost. Lin Yi, do you think there’s something wrong with me?” Yang Junqi laughed softly.

“Some people are always anxious about gains and losses. Don’t overthink things, Sister Yang. I’ll be going now,” Lin Yi said, preparing to leave, but Yang Junqi stopped him.

“Lin Yi, thank you. Yujia told me it was you who performed the surgery that saved me,” she said sincerely.

“Sister Yang, you make it sound like we’re strangers. Get some rest,” Lin Yi smiled.

“Alright.” Yang Junqi waved him off, suddenly realizing how wise she had been to keep Lin Yi on as a teacher.

After leaving the hospital, Lin Yi returned home and gifted one of the breastplates to Lin Doudou. As for the rest, he hadn’t yet decided whom to give them to.

“Lin Yi, Li Xiaonan has been missing these past two days,” Lin Doudou said, her mood low.

“Missing?” Lin Yi asked quietly.

“Yes. No one answers her phone, and I went to her house but found no one there. I did see blood on the ground, though,” Lin Doudou replied.

Lin Yi suddenly thought of Li Xiaonan’s two older sisters—they might have come for her.

“Where does she live? I’ll go take a look,” Lin Yi said. Li Xiaonan and Xiong Jinghui were disciples of Miao Caifeng; he couldn’t just stand by and do nothing.

“I’ll take you, Lin Yi,” Lin Doudou volunteered.

***

At the same time, in a basement somewhere, Li Xiaonan’s eyes were swollen from crying as she looked at Xiong Jinghui lying on the ground. Xiong Jinghui had taken an arrow to the abdomen, and blood was flowing freely.

“Senior sister, don’t leave me. I’ll take you to the doctor right now,” Li Xiaonan tried to press on the wound, but it was no use.

“Xiaonan, don’t make a sound. The senior and second sisters’ people must still be outside,” Xiong Jinghui said weakly.

“But you’re dying. I’ve already lost our master—I can’t just watch you die too,” Li Xiaonan sobbed.

“I…” Xiong Jinghui tried to speak, but footsteps sounded above.

Li Xiaonan held her breath.

Thud, thud, thud—someone was tapping the floor with a stick.

“It’s hollow underneath. Smash it open,” a hoarse voice said from above.

Li Xiaonan’s body tensed. She knew exactly what kind of torment awaited them once they were found.